Method of making floor coverings



Patented Aug. 4, 1931 UNITED; STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A, BEL .or tamed, ILLINGIS, Asst-(men To THE MECHANICAL RUBBER (IOZBIIPJLBTY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

a eonronATIo on NEW JERSEY METHOD OZE MAKING FLOOR COVERINGS NojDrawing. Application fi led June 15,

1' This invention relates to the method of manufacturing flooring or wall covering and to thearticle produced thereby. More particularly it relates to an improved method of manufacturing a mottled or variegated flooring of rubber composition audits product.

= It 'li as been customary in manufacturing mottled flooring out of rubber composition, to incorporate a small amount of variously col- 1 ored'unvul'canized rubber composition which is to constitute the dispersed portion into a relatively greateramount of diiierently coloredunvulcanized rubber composition which isto constitute the base or body portion of the flooring. These compositions are intermixed and sheeted to obtain a mottled sheet of material in which the colored dispersed compositionappears as elongated veins.

It is an object of this invention to provide a method of forming a variegated flooring of rubber composition by which the dispersed composition or filler is interspersed in the body composition in lumps without the appearance of veining. The invention also com- I as prises the article produced.

a In the preferred embodiment of the invention a rubber composition is prepared of suitable ingredients to constitute thebase or body portion of the flooring. A suitable composition is as follows: I V

Parts by weight Rubber Zinc oxide Clay 15 Iron oxide 7 Sulphur"; 5 Reclaimed rubber 2O Lime 2 These ingredients are intermixed upon a mill or by any other suitable means. In the composition describechthe lime serves as an accelerator of vulcanization and the iron oxide serves as a coloringagent. The clay and zinc oxide function generally as fillers. A

composition of this sort has a generally brown color. Various other coloring agents can be substituted for the iron oxide such as earthy pigments, metallic oxides or sulphides or vegetable coloring matters which will yield a 192.7. SerialNo. 199,136.

composition having the particular color desire p a One or more vulcanized rubber compositions of a nature suitable to be dispe'rsedin the base stockare prepared. These compositionscan be made of the same materials as are used in forming the body portion using vari-v ous other coloring agents than are in the body composition. For example, the color desired may be black, green, blue or various other 001- way as by grinding upon a mill. The rolls of the mill and the time of grindingare regulated so that the steel; is broken into p -ieces,'t'he majority of whichare preferably approximately one quarterof an inch in diameter. The ground vulcanized rubber composition now should be screened to eliminate the dust and'the'large pieces should be removed learving the composition in such :tormthatit can be incorporated into the base material to form a compound of the general --appearance.o;t terrazzo flooring; r

Before incorporating the filler .stoekinto the base composition, the base composition is warmed upon a mixing mill. The ground vulcanized material in one or more colors v different.from "that of the base material is then intermixed therewithin various proportions, a suitable formula being one part of cured stock to two parts of the uncuredbase portion. The materials, are mixed together until the vulcanized rubber composition is dispersed throughout the unvulcanizedbase material in small sized lumps. It is 'characteristic of the mixture that the vulcanized rubber does not flow throughout the base masixty pounds pressure.

' 7 face of rubber composition; The blocks are then vulcanized under pressure in order to obtain a tile having the glazed, glossy finish known as plate finish. fVulcaniz'atlon 1s suitably effected for the compounds described byheating .forten minutes at sixty pounds pressure. The blocks'obtained by this procedure have a smooth glossy surface which is desirable in tile flooring and has the variegated appearance of terrazzo flooring.

In case the plate finish is not desired in the completedarticle, the sheet composition can be completely I vulcanized before the sandingor buffing operation. vulcanization .witli the materials described is suitably effected at sixty pounds pressurefor twentyfive minutes, thetime' and-temperature being varied-withjthe composition used; It

may be desired to'provide a cushion backing for'theflooring and in such case a'compos1 tion'suitable for use as a backing can be pre- 7 pared having the following ingredients flooring can be made of other materials than rubber, such for example as fabric, etc.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 2- 1. The method of manufacturing flooring which comprises grindingvulcanized rubber composition into lumps, intermixing unvulcanized rubber composition with a quantity of the differently colored lumps of the-vul canized rubber composition to form a conglon'ierate mass containing vulcanized rubber composition dispersed through the unvulcanized rubber composition, sheetingithe mass, semi-curing the sheet, abrading away the surface of the sheet, and completing the vulcaniza'tion of the sheet under pressure.

. 2. The method ofmanufacturing fiooring which comprises grinding vulcanized rubber composition into lumps, intermixing unvulcanize'd rubber composition with a quantity of the differently colored lumps of the vulcanized. rubber composition to form a conglomerate mass. containing-vulcanized rubber composition dispersed through theunvulcanized rubber composition, sheeting] the mass,'semi-curing the sheet, abrading-away the surface of the sheet, completing thevulcanization of the sheet under pressure, and applying a backing to the vulcanized sheet.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook,;State of Illinois, this 15th day of March, 1927. V HARRY A. BELL.

These. materials are intermixed on a mill or by any other suitable device. In this com- 1' position thepalm'oilserves as a'softening agent the lime. acts as an accelerator of vulcanization; and the whiting serves both as a coloring agentandfiller. The composition 3 can be varied asmaytbe desired. After the materials are intermixed, "the compound I is sheets-d and'can be calendered intoplace upon the mixed flooring composition before the latbeen' vulcanized' The-procedureof semi curing bufiingand completely curing is the same as that described. for the jfiooring without the backing.

While the inventionjhas beeii' described as applied to the manufacture of: tiles forfloorfing or wall covering, .it is contemplated to use the composition for the-manufacture of long sheets. The'ingredients and their pro portions, can be varied within wide limits according to the. appearance sought in the completed article The backing applied to the 

